‘Strike us, and we’ll build a bomb’– Iran sends chilling warning to Israel

Iran has warned that a military strike by Israel on its nuclear facilities could trigger its withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and push it toward building nuclear weapons, according to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi.

In an interview broadcast on i24NEWS and published by the Jerusalem Post on Monday, Grossi revealed that senior Iranian officials conveyed this stark warning during recent diplomatic engagements.

“A strike could potentially have an amalgamating effect, solidifying Iran’s determination—I’ll say it plainly—to pursue a nuclear weapon or withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,” Grossi said.

Grossi, who leads the UN’s nuclear watchdog, described the Iranian nuclear program as “wide and deep,” noting that any attempt to dismantle it would require “overwhelming and devastating force.”

He expressed doubts that Israel would risk such an operation, given the massive consequences.

The remarks come as tensions simmer in the Middle East amid renewed nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington, brokered by Oman.

On Monday, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, confirmed that Tehran is preparing a counter-offer to Washington’s latest proposal on reviving the 2015 nuclear agreement.

He labeled the current U.S. terms as “unacceptable.”

Diplomatic sources say the Omani-mediated talks are delicate, with both sides trying to avoid derailment.

Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to jeopardize the progress.

“I told him this would be inappropriate to do right now because we’re very close to a solution,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

“That could change at any moment.”

Trump and Netanyahu are expected to hold a phone conversation on Monday to address the fragile status of the talks and to coordinate regional security matters.

Israel views a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat and has not ruled out military options to halt the Islamic Republic’s enrichment program.

However, Iran insists its nuclear activities are peaceful and compliant with international law.

Iranian leaders say their cooperation with the IAEA continues despite Western provocations, though skepticism remains high in the West.

Grossi’s public warning underscores the fragile nature of current diplomatic efforts and the high stakes involved.

A military conflict involving Israel and Iran could ignite wider war in the region, disrupt global oil markets, and collapse existing arms control agreements.

The IAEA chief stressed the importance of restraint, urging all parties to “act responsibly” to avoid a catastrophic breakdown in negotiations.

As of Monday, no formal response has been issued by Israeli officials regarding Grossi’s remarks, though the Jerusalem Post reports that internal debate is raging within the Israeli security establishment about the timing and scope of any potential action.

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